“It’s ridiculous, Trump is not willing to accept the political reality that Obama is a real candidate, he’s a real person and they’re taking every opportunity to pull him down,” one man told 1010 WINS’ Stan Brooks.

“He is just jealous and he wants to run to be president. Obama got it, he’s here, he’s American,” a woman said.

“I think he’s just a publicity hound,” another man said. “Anything to get in the newspapers. I’d like to see Donald Trump’s birth certificate, see where he’s from.”

In an interview with George Stephanapoulos, Trump said the White House can end the controvery by simply releasing the president’s official birth certificate.

“He doesn’t have a birth certificate or he hasn’t provided it,” Trump said.

Stephanapoulos pointed out that Obama, long ago, released a certificate of live birth and that the announcement of his birth was published by two Hawaiian newspapers.

Trump said Stephanapoulos had been “co-opted.”

Some people are, however, siding with Trump.

“I think it’s legit, I think as Americans we should know where our leader is born and raised and what his policies are,” one man said.

A CNN nationwide poll of adult Republicans showed Trump tied for the presidential lead with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, at 19 percent each. Palin, the 2008 vice presidential nominee, was third at 12 percent.

Trump has said he would decide by June about whether he will officially enter the presidential race.

What do you think? Should Trump give up on the Obama birth certificate battle? Sound off below

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)